A new book to introduce children to the fascinating world of nature, including trees, birds, and wetlands, has been launched in the city.
Launched by Tara Gandhi, conservationist and founder and life trustee of the Wildlife Trust of India, Be My Happy Place is a guidebook designed for middle schoolers to explore ecology and the environment through nature observation activities.
Produced by Care Earth Trust in collaboration with SwedBio, a programme at Stockholm Resilience Centre that brings together experts from around the world on biodiversity and sustainable development, including local communities, the book is designed to bridge that gap by offering simple, engaging activities that students and teachers can do within the school campus and its surroundings to foster a deeper connection with nature.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan, the author, said school curricula and textbooks often presented broad topics such as climate change and global warming, but they didn’t always help children connect with the natural world or understand what was happening in it. Simple, but not too simplistic, this book would help students develop scientific rigour by engaging with nature through activities such as bird logs, she added.
The book is divided into activities suited for four different environments — the campus, urban areas, wetlands, and coasts. The book was designed by Anisha Murali and Denver Pereira and illustrated by Tanvi Chunekar.
The books will be distributed to four government schools in and around Chennai. Interested educators can contact Care Earth Trust to obtain copies of the activity sheets.
Jayanthi M., Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and Anwardeen I, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Project Director, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response, were present at the launch.
Published - September 15, 2024 11:30 pm IST
